It’s time for the first North London Derby of the season. Arsenal and Spurs share a bitter rivalry over the years and will give their all in the game to win at any cost. The North London Derby is one of the biggest rivalries in English football and we can expect a cracker of a game when the two giants take on each other.
Arsenal are in sublime form at the moment and have not lost since the opening day of the season whereas Spurs are struggling for wins. They are still the only unbeaten team in the Premier League but five of their ten games have ended in stalemates which is far from impressive.
Arsenal are on the back of a brilliant 3-2 win from the midweek against Ludogorets in the Champions League where they came back from 2-0 down to win 3-2 with Mesut Ozil making the headlines with a goal out of the world. Spurs, on the other hand, lost 1-0 to Bayer Leverkusen and their progress to the round of 16 seems pretty difficult now.
Arsenal clearly have the upper hand over their rivals in terms of form and they also have the home advantage.
Here are three questions Spurs fans will ask ahead of the North London Derby.
How will Pochettino cope up with the crisis in midfield?
Pochettino’s midfield options are severely depleted ahead of the big game. Moussa Sissoko is suspended for the game while Mousa Dembele is doubtful after picking up an injury in the midweek.
With Eric Dier playing in central defence and Toby Alderweireld missing through injury, Pochettino has a big decision to make regarding whom to play alongside Wanyama in midfield. Arsenal like to stamp their control in midfield and Spurs cannot afford to let them do that.
Vincent Janssen again?
In Harry Kane’s absence during his injury, Spurs have struggled for goals and Vincent Janssen is the guilty party. The Dutchman was brought in this summer to ease some pressure off the shoulders of Kane but has failed to do so. However, with Harry Kane still not match-fit and Heung-Min Son playing on the flank, Pochettino has no other option but to start Janssen up front. Will the Dutchman finally deliver on his first North London Derby when it matters the most? Only time will tell.
Can Spurs once again shock a big side?
Since Pochettino’s arrival, Spurs have mostly played well against the bigger sides and that has not changed this season. Spurs managed to salvage a draw against Liverpool earlier this season despite being the second best team on the pitch.
They performed out of their skins against Manchester City to beat then high-flying Cityzens 2-0. Can they come up with something similar against Arsenal?
